Mark Caleb Smith, Ph.D.

Professor of Political Science Cedarville University

  • Cedarville OH

Dr. Smith is an expert in American politics, campaigns & elections, and constitutional law.

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Spotlight

2 min

The Anxiety of Election Season

After the results of the U.S. presidential election were announced, many Americans celebrated. But many voters instead found only stress and anxiety. After an election of rhetoric that foretold the end of democracy if the opposing candidate won, there seems to be a unique amount of post-election stress. How did election rhetoric affect this outcome, and can we expect future elections to cause this same stress? Political expert, Dr. Mark Caleb Smith, discussed the anxiety that many Americans felt even before the election and how it can be dealt with moving forward. Here are some key takeaways from his recent interview: This election cycle caused so many Americans to lose sleep that the term "electsomnia" was coined. Has the anxiety of election season always been present, or has the presence of social media paved a way for this problem? Constant access to information about the election is a probable reason for many voters' anxiety. How can Americans keep themselves informed without causing unnecessary damage to their mental health? This is not the first complicated or difficult election that the United States has faced. Now that this election season is over, how can Americans—both those who are satisfied and those who are frustrated by the results—move forward while recognizing that politics does not define them? If you are a journalist covering the election results and voters' responses, our experts are here to help with all of your questions and stories. Dr. Mark Caleb Smith is the Director of the Center for Political Studies at Cedarville University. Mark is available to speak with the media regarding election emotions and the election results. Simply click on his icon or email mweinstein@cedarville.edu to arrange an interview.

Mark Caleb Smith, Ph.D.

2 min

The 47th President

Former President Donald Trump was re-elected as the 47th president of the United States. He will be only the second president to serve two nonconsecutive terms—the first being Grover Cleveland in the 1800s. Much of the country shifted right this election cycle, resulting in Trump earning the electoral vote and the popular vote. This is the first time the Republican candidate has the earned the popular vote since 2004, during George W. Bush's reelection campaign. Political expert, Dr. Mark Caleb Smith focused in on how the Christian vote may have affected this outcome.In a recent Christianity Today article, Dr. Mark Caleb Smith provides some insight into how Christians voted in the most recent election. Here are some key points from the recent article: President Joe Biden is a lifelong Catholic, but since he dropped out of the presidential race, many Catholics voted for Trump rather than Vice President Kamala Harris. How did the Catholic vote for Trump shift from the last election? Trump's victory seems to indicate the importance of economics for American voters. Did Trump's economic policies sway the votes of evangelicals, rather than his stances on social issues like abortion? Although Trump had the majority of the evangelical vote, there is still a minority that rejects Trump on account of his character and tone. Did these voters lean towards the Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris, or did their votes go to third-party candidates? If you are a journalist covering the election results and transition of power, our experts are here to help with all of your questions and stories. Dr. Mark Caleb Smith is the Director of the Center for Political Studies at Cedarville University. Mark is available to speak with the media regarding election emotions, the election results, and upcoming transition of power. Simply click on his icon or email mweinstein@cedarville.edu to arrange an interview.

Mark Caleb Smith, Ph.D.

2 min

Heading to the Ballot Box

The impending U.S. presidential election is already breaking records. Voters are beginning to cast their ballots as early as 45 days before Election Day. Voting early by in-person or mail-in absentee ballot is typically a popular choice amongst Democrat voters, but this election season has seen an uptick in Republican voters choosing to cast their ballot before November 5. This has led to record numbers of early turnout in vital swing states such as Georgia and North Carolina. Will these increased numbers impact the election and voter turnout overall? Political expert, Dr. Mark Caleb Smith, pointed out the anxiety that this election is causing Americans and how that may affect voting. Here are three key takeaways from his recent interview: Both the Republican and Democrat political parties speak about the upcoming election in terms of fear, claiming drastic consequences if the other party wins the presidential office. Has this heightened anxiety pushed more Americans to cast their ballot early? Smith points out that many voters feel immense pressure as they prepare to choose a candidate. As Americans worry about the perceived high stakes of this election, will the U.S. see an increase not only in early voting but in voting overall? As nearly 19 million Americans head to the polls early, will their ballots be affected by this highly-charged election season and increased threat of misinformation spread on social media? If you are a journalist covering this election season, our experts are here to help with all of your questions and stories. Dr. Mark Caleb Smith is the Director of the Center for Political Studies at Cedarville University. Mark is available to speak with the media regarding election emotions, the upcoming election, and the aftermath. Simply click on his icon or email mweinstein@cedarville.edu to arrange an interview.

Mark Caleb Smith, Ph.D.
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Biography

Dr. Smith serves as Professor of Political Science and the Director of the Center for Political Studies at Cedarville University. He teaches courses in American Politics, Constitutional Law, and Research Methodology/Data Analysis. Dr. Smith has authored numerous refereed journal articles, book chapters, and other publications. His primary research interest is in the field of religion and American politics. He received his B.A. in history from Bryan College (1992), an M.A. in the history of Christianity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (1995), and an M.A. (1997) and Ph.D. (2001) in political science from the University of Georgia. Before arriving at Cedarville in 2004, Dr. Smith taught at Tulane University and Calvin College.

Industry Expertise

Research
Education/Learning

Areas of Expertise

Constitutional Law
Presidential Politics
Presidential Campaigns

Education

University of Georgia

Ph.D.

Political Science and Government

2001

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

M.A.

History of Christianity

1995

University of Georgia

M.A.

Political Science

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Media Appearances

Get Ready for Contentious Battle

WDTN TV  tv

2018-06-28

Mark Caleb Smith joins WDTN TV to discuss the retirement of Anthony Kennedy from SCOTUS.

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The Race for Ohio Governor

WRGT TV  tv

2018-06-15

Mark Caleb Smith joined WRGT TV to discuss the race that's heating up for governor of Ohio.

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Source says emails came in Weiner investigation

WDTN News  online

2016-10-28

"Comey told members of Congress on Friday that newly discovered emails believed to be related to the Clinton case were prompting a new review.

Cedarville University’s Mark Caleb Smith says it’s hard to say the impact this could have on her campaign.

'It makes me think that there must be something there that is significant or they wouldn’t go through the process,' Smith said. 'And the headache of re-opening it. It’s interesting for me to think through that the director has the same president, same attorney general, same director so what exactly is happening? You wonder if it’s an internal issue in the FBI...'"

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Articles

Fanning the flames: Religious media consumption and American politics

American Politics Research

2007

Both religion and mass media are politically important in the United States. However, little is known about the political role of religious media. Religious media might be politically influential because they help translate religion into political thinking and because their consumers are likely to internalize the political cues these media provide. We find that almost a quarter of the public claims to have relied on religious media when making voting decisions in 2000. Religious media users felt significantly closer to George W. Bush and Pat Buchanan and farther away from Al Gore and were more likely to vote for Bush and Republican House candidates than nonusers, even after controlling for a host of religious and political variables. These findings reflect more than self-selection effects and suggest that religious media have a polarizing effect on the candidate evaluations and voting behavior of their core audience of political conservatives.

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Religiosity, secularism, and social health: A research note

Journal of Religion & Society

2006

This article is a research note addressing various theoretical and methodological issues in the measurement and analysis of religiosity and secularism and their relationship to quantifiable measures of social health in advanced and prosperous democracies. Particular attention is given to cross-national frameworks for studying religiosity and secularism as well as to the conceptualization and statistical analysis of these notions for research design. Various procedural suggestions regarding the use of comparative frameworks are presented to assist in the development and implementation of future studies gauging the impact of worldview commitments upon societal wellbeing.

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On the prospect of linking religious right identification with political behavior: Panacea or Snipe Hunt?

Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

2002

Although it is a popular topic, the religious right is understudied in two areas. First, scholars have not developed an agreed-upon profile of religious-right adherents at the individual level. Second, little is known about how religious-right status functions as a predictor of political behavior. There is a possibility that religious-right status functions similarly to party identification, as an indicator that is both related to a wide range of variables and capable of functioning independently of those variables as a predictor of political behavior. Using multivariate statistical techniques we analyze survey data that allows respondents to self-identify as members of the religious right. We find that religious-right identifiers are social and theological conservatives who demonstrate high levels of religious commitment. However, they are neither monolithically Republican nor ideologically conservative. Religious-right status does have cross-cutting characteristics, for it is fluid across partisan, ideological, and denominational lines. This status is not, however, politically distinguishing as whatever impact it has on political behavior is apparently subsumed by traditional political variables.

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